In Ct., Romney seeks to close gender gap

Brian Lockhart

Updated 11:37 pm, Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney smiles as he is introduced during a campaign stop at AlphaGraphics at 915 Main Street in downtown Hartford on Wednesday, April 11, 2012.
Photo: Brian A. Pounds

HARTFORD, CT - APRIL 11: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks to supporters on April 11, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. Romney spoke at Alpha Graphics in Hartford and will later attend a small business town hall meeting in Warwick, Rhode Island. With Rick Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the Republican nomination, out of the race, the former Massachusetts governor is now the presumptive Republican nominee. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Photo: Spencer Platt, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks at a campaign event to Irene Bachman on April 11, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. Romney spoke at Alpha Graphics in Hartford and will later attend a small business town hall meeting in Warwick, R.I. With Rick Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the Republican nomination, out of the race, the former Massachusetts governor is now the presumptive Republican nominee. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Photo: Spencer Platt, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks to supporters on April 11, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. Romney spoke at Alpha Graphics in Hartford and will later attend a small business town hall meeting in Warwick, Rhode Island. With Rick Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the Republican nomination, out of the race, the former Massachusetts governor is now the presumptive Republican nominee.
Photo: Spencer Platt, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

HARTFORD, CT - APRIL 11: Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks to supporters on April 11, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. Romney spoke at Alpha Graphics in Hartford and will later attend a small business town hall meeting in Warwick, Rhode Island. With Rick Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the Republican nomination, out of the race, the former Massachusetts governor is now the presumptive Republican nominee.
Photo: Spencer Platt, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

HARTFORD, CT - APRIL 11: Republican presidential candidate and...

HARTFORD, CT - APRIL 11: Jim Wilson, a supporter of Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, sets up flags on his truck outside of a campaign event on April 11, 2012 in Hartford, Connecticut. Romney spoke at Alpha Graphics in Hartford and will later attend a small business town hall meeting in Warwick, Rhode Island. With Rick Santorum, Romney's chief rival for the Republican nomination, out of the race, the former Massachusetts governor is now the presumptive Republican nominee.
Photo: Spencer Platt, Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The stop was already scheduled when Rick Santorum, his main rival for the nomination, suspended his upstart but floundering campaign a day earlier. Santorum has not endorsed Romney but ceded the field to the former Massachusetts governor after a bitter primary contest pitting party insiders against more conservative GOP elements.

Romney did not mention Santorum, instead hammering Obama's handling of the economy and charging the administration's failures have hurt women nationwide.

"I was disappointed in listening to the President as he's saying, `Oh, Republicans are waging a war on women,' " Romney told supporters and members of the media, squeezed into Alphagraphics Inc's press room. "The real war on women is being waged by the president's failed economic policies."

Romney faces a significant gender gap when matched up against Obama. A Washington Post/ABC News poll released Tuesday found Romney trailed the president among women by 19 points.

Not only is AlphaGraphics owned by a woman -- Karen Brinker, of Greenwich, home of her first franchise -- but Romney during his 17-minute speech was flanked by a few dozen other female business owners, politicians and retirees.

And his campaign passed out a flier that said women account for 92.3 percent of jobs lost under the Obama administration.

Obama supporters have been quick to point out that PolitiFact.com, a Tampa Bay Times fact-check website, last week said Romney's claim was "mostly false."

"There is a small amount of truth to the claim, but it ignores critical facts that would give a different impression," PolitiFact concluded.

Among the Republican insiders in the office was Tom Foley, who received Romney's endorsement in 2010 during his unsuccessful run for governor.

"As the campaign unfolds, you'll see that support -- particularly the gender gap -- change as people get to know the candidates," Foley said. "I think all the issues are on Gov. Romney's side."

Brinker, who, along with state GOP chairman Jerry Labriola introduced Romney, told the crowd Romney is uniquely qualified to improve the country and reduce federal spending for future generations, including her grandchildren.

"I'm concerned about the next 10, 20, 30 years and the next four years so they don't have to worry about paying the national debt," Brinker said.

In a brief interview afterward, Brinker described herself as an independent who backed Republican John McCain in the 2008 presidential race. Brinker said she was first contacted by the Romney campaign last Thursday, but the visit was only scheduled around noon Monday. She and her AlphaGraphics staff have been working longer this week to ensure their business could be shut down for several hours Wednesday to host the candidate and his entourage.

"I've been a Romney fan since the Salt Lake Olympics," she said, a reference to Romney's stewardship of the 2002 games. She and a handful of other women spent about 40 minutes with Romney on his campaign bus prior to his speech. "Basically, he listened to each of us talk about our businesses and problems and what we wanted him to do about them."

Deborah Herbst, of Trumbull, who in 2010 retired from her job as principal at Pumpkin Delight Elementary School in Milford, was one of the women standing by Romney as he spoke. She was pleased with what she considered a strong message to female voters.

"The economy is really causing a lot of hardships to families and single parents," Herbst said. "I saw it as a building principal."

"I am thrilled he is beginning to highlight the value of women in their role not only in the political process but the economic engine of the country," Stevenson said, adding the GOP has turned off some women voters due to a focus on social issues. " I believe in personal responsibility, and if the party focused on personal responsibility above all else we'd do ourselves well."

Following Romney's remarks, the Connecticut Democratic Party issued a statement criticizing the campaign for not initially answering questions during a Wednesday morning press call about Romney's support for Obama-backed legislative measures supporting equal pay for women.

"Mitt Romney's position on equal pay for women is, `We'll get back to you on that,' " Connecticut Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said in a statement. "That's not an answer that gives Connecticut women any confidence that Mitt Romney would stand up for them, and that's not an answer that gives Connecticut families any confidence that Mitt Romney is committed to restoring middle class security."

The Romney campaign has since reportedly said the candidate would not repeal the legislation.

Romney must also gain the support of skeptical Santorum backers.

Foley said he believes Santorum will eventually endorse his onetime foe in part because he continues to harbor political ambitions. But Foley acknowledged from his own experience in 2010 it can be tough.

"I've been there, so I understand the hard feelings," Foley said. "It's hard not to take some of this personally."

While Romney spoke, Chris O'Brien of Wolcott, one of Santorum's Connecticut campaign coordinators, stood outside on the sidewalk. He carried a handwritten sign, "Convince Me."

O'Brien said the biggest question facing himself and Santorum supporters statewide is who to vote for in Connecticut's GOP primary on April 24.

He expects some Santorum backers will switch to Romney, while others might cast protest voters for their candidate, who will remain on the ballot, or for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas or former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

O'Brien said he remains wary of Romney, calling him a standoffish flipflopper whose background as a CEO makes it easy for the candidate to make compromises.

"Convince me and the 1,000 volunteers around Connecticut when you talk a good conservative game now you actually hold to that," O'Brien said.

Asked if a public endorsement of Romney from Santorum will secure his vote, O'Brien needed to think about it.

"I'd be hesitant but it would be a sign, perhaps, Rick or people with similar values will be a part of government," O'Brien said. "There would have to be conditions."